Cuff
by Green Bunny
Summary: Dating is a learning experience, especially when mothers and communicators are involved. "Puppy Teeth" now added, because you asked nicely.
1. She Comes A-Calling

This is EX3451's fault. He got me talking and then… bam. This thing.

Also it's really hard to write Cyborg. But I did it to challenge myself. Ugh.

0

Raven blinked at her communicator. She had expected a good many conversations from Beast Boy's adoptive mother once they had announced to his family that they were dating. But nothing prepared her for the bizarre text conversation that unfolded the very next day following their little… announcement.

_Hi! This is Rita._

Raven stared at the round disc in her palm for several minutes. How did she manage to get her—Oh, right. Mento. She gnawed at her lip as he fingers hovered over the keys. What did one say to the mother of-?

_This IS Raven's communicator, right?_

With a start, she tapped back a quick _Yes._

_Good. I need you to give a message to my son. _

Slender digits were already typing in the obvious question when another text came through.

_He set his communicator to block my calls._

One of her Poe busts turned black and made an ominous crunching sound. Oh no. He was already fighting with his mom. Was it because of her? It had to be. She pressed a hand to her chest and muttered her mantra several times until the blackness ebbed away from the statue.

_Tell my son I found what he moved._

_What?_

_Tell my son I found what he moved. Oh, and smack him upside the head for me, will you? Thanks!_

The chat feature closed off suddenly and Raven was left staring back at her confused expression reflecting off the grey screen. The empath leaned back against her headboard, still clutching the bright yellow disc. Slowly, her lips began to twitch and move skyward.

…

He couldn't be losing.

Beast Boy bent forward in his seat, elbows on his knees. His mouth was set in a grim line, jaw jutted forward enough to push a single fang out at the corner of his lips.

"C'mon, c'mon…" He chanted as his fingers danced across the colored buttons of his controller.

Cyborg shifted in his seat beside him, leaning a little further back into the sofa. For all intents and purposes he appeared to be calm and collected. He wore a cock-sure grin that quivered just a tiny bit at the corners.

As he plugged away at his own controller he sent a request to his processors to pump more coolant near his scalp. It would do him no good to have the changeling pick up on the scent of his sweat; a sure sign of his distress. No, the metal man had to make his best friend think that he wasn't the least bit concerned at his predicament.

More red appeared in the health bar above his sprite's head. His tapping grew more frantic, the smirk slipping away from his features. Meanwhile, his green friend's character remained relatively unharmed.

Was he actually losing?

An alarm he hadn't heard since he had finished building the tower blinked behind his left eye issuing a warning that sensors indicated that his health bar was dangerously close to total failure. He never lost. What on earth had changed? His human eye flicked over to his friend.

Ever since the little grass stain had come back from visiting the Doom Patrol he'd been different.

Normally for the first few days he was home he was quieter, withdrawn; for Beast Boy, anyway. His smiles were always a little too sunny. His fangs never showed at the corners as they did when he was truly tickled. Then gradually, the _really_ corny jokes would return, Raven would resume her regularly scheduled portal launches into the bay, and finally, that tooth would reappear. Cyborg hated those first few days.

Today, though, he came home… different. The metal man had the GameStation already set up for his friend to help ease him back into his good mood. However, the boy had strolled in humming a song to himself. The humming itself was strange, usually not occurring for a good week after one of his little trips home. Perplexed, he called out his usual challenge to his friend. The changeling accepted with every bit of his normal sass and gusto, fang exposed and all.

And here he was, losing for the first time in years to a guy Cyborg swore could never surprise him. His face hardened into a scowl of concentration. As the last of his health bar slipped away his sensors announced the familiar signature of dark energy. He didn't need to look for her. His systems told him she was behind them, watching. The scowl twisted into a triumphant smirk. If anyone could distract Beast Boy enough to cause him to lose, it was her. And she did so enjoy his cries of outrage…

His hope turned into panic as the gauge slipped further and further into the red. Why wasn't she saying anything? Oh no, oh no-

"WINNER: PLAYER TWO"

Beast Boy leapt to his feet with a triumphant cackle. He raised his fists over his head and strutted about. One hand still clutched the controller and the cord was nearly yanked out of its port as he made a circuit around the coffee table. Raven seemed to choose that particular moment to make her presence known by gently tugging the device out of his hand with her powers and placing it on the couch. He whirled around to face the empath, an even brighter smile further stretched his features.

"Rae! Did you see? I won!"

Cyborg grunted and crossed his arms, glaring daggers at the dark titan for not helping him win. "I let you win, grass stain."

The green teen's smile fell a fraction as he turned his emerald stare towards him, brows furrowed. "No way, man. Tell me you did not let me win."

He felt the slightest twinge of remorse at the comment upon seeing his friend deflate. He opened his mouth to respond when a quiet gravelly voice broke in,

"Want to re-think that comment? I'm feeling a good bit of irritation from you… and you were definitely panicking while you were playing him."

The embarrassed flush that darkened his cheeks was real, but the bluster was not as he huffed and muttered to himself about Raven's powers being on the fritz. He was glad for him, mostly, even if bro code dictated he act like he wasn't.

"Oh, that reminds me…" Raven intoned as she floated around to the changeling's side.

"Ooh, do I get a victory ki—Yeeouch!"

The metal man blinked as the empath reached up and cuffed the boy upside the back of his head. It was barely hard enough to ruffle his hair, but the little guy acted as if he'd been punched.

He clasped the back of his head and whined. "Aw, Rae, what was that for?"

Amethyst eyes held the faintest traces of amusement, crinkling just so at the corners. "Your mother said to tell you she found what you moved. She also said to give you a smack. Therefore, the message has been delivered."

His single eyebrow soared high on his head. Elastigirl? THE Elastigirl from the Doom Patrol talked to Raven? "What's she talking about, BB?"

The green teen shrugged his shoulders in his friend's direction. His smile faded and he rubbed his chin with the hand that had originally cradled his head. Green eyes swung skyward to regard the ceiling. "Moved? I didn't— OH! "

His eyes lit up suddenly as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, the thoughtful frown dissolved into a fit of giggles. Gloved hands slapped down onto his knees as he doubled over with laughter. Cyborg wasn't sure what exactly was so funny, but Beast Boy's laughter was notoriously infectious and he found his own lips inch upwards.

Raven quirked an eyebrow in his direction, her gaze seeking answers the metal man failed to provide. She sighed quietly and crossed her arms over her chest, none-too-patiently waiting out the boy's laughter. After several minutes the laughter died down and the changeling straightened, wiping tears of merriment from the corners of his eyes.

"Fang and claw, she… she thinks…" He snorted, then took a long, steadying breath to calm himself.

"Beast Boy…" The demoness growled, her patience nearing an end.

Sufficiently warned, he gave a wobbly grin that threatened to spill more giggles. "Every-Every time I go home I play a… game with Rita."

Confusion clouded her gaze. "A game? Do you play it with your communicator?"

He bit his lip to withhold a snicker but was unsuccessful and it slipped out anyway. "Hehe… no. But when she finds whatever I moved she calls me right away to yell at me."

"Moved?" Curiosity got the better of Cyborg as he set down his controller and leaned forward in his seat.

"Heh, yeah. Trophies, knick-knacks, random stuff of Rita's. One time I put all of her kachina statues in the rafters in the dining room. Robot Man swore the things were haunted and trying to curse him… so I moved them to his bedroom a few days later. Another time I put all her shoes in the pantry and all the food in her closet. Or that other time I hid those Russian nesting dolls all over the mansion. We never did find that really, really tiny one. "

Cyborg was surprised when he and Raven spoke simultaneously. "So, what'd you move this time?"

Beast Boy's grin was so wide both fangs popped out. "Nothing."

"What?" Again, they chimed in unison. The metal man and the empath exchanged surprised glances with each other.

"Hehe, that's the thing. I didn't touch _anything_. I just told her I did. Oh man, I wonder what she thinks she found…" Tickled at the thought, the green teen wrapped his arms around his sides as another fit of giggles doubled him over.

Raven rolled her eyes and then frowned. "Why'd you block Rita's messages if you had nothing to hide?"

The laughter subsided but he remained bent at the waist, speaking more to the floor than anyone else. "Had to…" His chest heaved as he strained to collect his breath. "Had to make her think… I was guilty. Oh man, I so have to do that again some time."

A black half-moon of energy swept up to thump the green boy in the head. "Are you telling me that every time you pull one of your pranks on the Doom Patrol I'll be getting a personal call FROM YOUR MOTHER?"

As if she knew they were talking about her, Raven's communicator chirped. She reached for her side, disengaged the yellow disc from her belt, and flipped open the cover. Her eyes slid back and forth over the letters until a slow smile spread across her lips.

Cyborg scooted the tiniest bit further down the couch, away from the empath. Obvious smiles were never a good sign with Raven.

"Say, Beast Boy." The girl intoned, her face a little too placid.

The boy in question lifted his head, fear flitted behind his emerald eyes. "Y-yeah?"

"Rita says I'm supposed to ask you about…" She paused to cast a glance at the words on the screen, then looked back up, eyebrow arched. "…Puppy teeth?"

The changeling straightened suddenly, his cheeks flaming a dusty brown at the curious words. "I uh…I…IGOTTAGOMAKEACALLLATERGUYS!"

In one swift movement Beast Boy turned and vaulted over the couch. The second his purple sneakers touched the floor he was off like a shot. A heartbeat later the doors swished open to accommodate a flash of green, and then slid quietly shut behind it.

The common room fell into crushing silence. It was in these muted moments that the metal man was reminded how much the little grass stain filled a space with his overwhelming presence. He grinned and shook his head, directing his human eye towards the empath left behind.

"Puppy teeth?"

"I don't know." A genuine Raven-smile graced her lips. "But something tells me that this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship."


	2. Puppy Teeth

**This wasn't even a thing until jasonvuk666 made it be a thing. You people just have to ask! UGH! Killin' me.**

**It's also really weird googling swear words in different languages while at work… seems sort'a wrong.**

**I have no flipping clue how old BB was between when his parents died and when he was adopted. He had to be young, as a lot of inspiration for this comes from the Titans Go comic book. They show him building with those little baby blocks in one part so, young enough for those. Also, since I estimated BB at 8 years old and knowing that Robin's supposed to be about 12 when he loses his parents it's safe to assume he isn't around yet for a later encounter in this story. I *really* wanted to put him in here but the math just didn't add up.**

**This story got way out of hand. I blame everybody but myself.**

0

"So…" The empath drawled. "Puppy teeth."

The car in the game Beast Boy was playing plowed straight into a wall. "_Blerrie_, I knew she'd remember…"

"What was that?" A slender eyebrow rose steadily on her gray face.

The green teenager had the decency to blush. "Ah uh… n-nothing." He _really_ wasn't interested in explaining Afrikaans swear words to his girlfriend.

His right ear flicked as he heard her huff beside him. For a person who desired so much privacy for herself she sure was nosey. Maybe if he pretended like he was too focused on the game she'd let him off the hook. He punched the X button with his thumb to start up a new round, the fabric of his gloved fingers whispered against the plastic controller as they shifted.

"Beast Boy."

_Dubbel blerrie._ "Uh?" He grunted with what he hoped was an appropriate amount of irritation to dissuade her.

It wasn't. "Puppy teeth." She reiterated. "Tell me."

He watched from the corner of his eye as Raven thumbed over the top edge of a page in her book and closed it. She deposited the book on the coffee table before turning her whole body towards him. No, she definitely wasn't going to let this slide. He tried his best to ignore her, anyway. His mind drifted back to that terrible moment…

_As soon as the dreaded words had left Raven's mouth he had beat a hasty retreat to his room to call up his mother. Her smug face quickly appeared and greeted him in real time from the silver and purple device._

"_I see you've decided to answer my calls." _

_He scowled at her, his jutting lower lip did nothing to hinder her amusement. "Riiiitaaaa! Why'd you say it?!"_

"_Say what? She was bound to hear about it eventually." Came the innocent reply. _

_His whine was downright petulant. "But did you have to tell her __**now**__? We've only been dating six months!" _

"_Aw, cool your jets sweetie, at least I didn't show her the pictures of the first bath we gave you. We still have those photo albums, you know." _

_His face paled. Okay, so it could have been worse…. _

Slender gray digits tapped his knee. His attention was instantly drawn downward, causing his car to weave dangerously once before his focus snapped back to the screen.

"Don't ignore me."

"M'busy…" He mumbled. The car didn't waver on the track, this time.

The fingers on his knee began to twirl lazy circles, eliciting a shiver from the green man. Raven was still working on the touching-without-exploding-stuff thing and it made anything she did to him electrifying. He swore he could feel tingles shooting up his thigh from the tiny caress-His car careened into a fence before it flipped dramatically and exploded into flames.

"Aw man!" He threw down his controller in disgust, which was caught by the empath's magic before it could impact with the coffee table. He watched her eyes move as she silently directed the device to its resting place on the couch to his left.

"Now that you're not busy…" A dark tendril flicked the GameStation's power cord out of the outlet for extra measure. "Tell me about puppy teeth."

Beast Boy gave a loud groan and sat back against the couch, shoulders hunched and arms crossed. Emerald orbs darted to her face, features blank but expectant all the same. With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes with a gloved hand, halting the motion mid-stroke to crack an eye at her.

"Promise not to tell Cy?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." The empath withdrew her hand from his knee to sign an X shape over her sternum.

Her answer, so very Raven in its morbidity, was enough to banish the blush and create a grin. The green teen released an exasperated sigh before unfolding his arms.

"All right, fine. Rita'll probably tell you anyway if I don't… Traitor." He grumbled. "I was pretty young when this happened. I don't really remember much of it myself but it's been told to me so much I know all about it…"

_Beast Boy was a child of phases. He had a building phase. A destruction phase. A roaming phase and a clingy phase. The Doom Patrol (specifically, Rita and Negative Man) had handled them relatively well, all things considered. It's not easy raising a child with the urges both youth and of the entirety of the animal kingdom, but they managed. _

_Nothing, however, really prepared them for the chewing phase. _

_It started innocently enough. Negative Man noticed the green boy had begun to gnaw on his little black nails during the slow moments between battles, eating, and sleeping. His claws were tough and sharp and handled the weathering of a nervous mouth well, at first. Rita appreciated that there was less damage done to her couch cushions with his nails so blunted. Everything was copacetic. _

_Then he chewed his nails down to bloody stumps. That was when Mento stepped in. At first he tried merely slapping the boy's hands away from his face whenever he drew them up. The telepath complained long and loud that it was a dirty habit. When that didn't stop him the gloves were introduced to his costume. Mento claimed people were staring at his hands because they "looked wrong." Duly shamed for all the wrong reasons, the boy complied. _

_Beast Boy might have quit chewing on his hands, but his nervous energy and the intense pressure on his gums forced him to develop other bad habits to replace them. Robotman came down to the living room one morning to the discovery that all fourteen of the throw pillows on the four couches in the massive space had vanished. At first, he chalked it up to Rita's random fits of redecoration, a common occurrence in the household. However, after several more pillows (and all of Beast Boy's soft toys) disappeared questions were raised. Mento quickly deduced the child's guilt. The remnants of anything stuffed and smaller than a square foot were found piled beneath his bed. _

_The eight-year-old burst into tears the moment they pulled out one of Rita's throws, sans stuffing. He certain that they would kick him off the team once they discovered his problem. Everyone else knew otherwise. Rita sighed and crouched down next to him, throwing her arms about his skinny shoulders to draw him into a hug._

"_I-I c-couldn't he-lp it." He sobbed into her neck, allowing her familiar scent to consume him, convinced it would be the last he'd ever be so close to her. "Puh-please don't s-send me away."_

_Rita stroked his hair and murmured encouraging words into his ear, rocking him gently. When he'd calmed down sufficiently she pulled back to look at him, cupping his wet round cheeks between her palms to keep his eyes on hers. "Garfield, don't be silly. You're not going anywhere. Tell me, though, why did you tear up the cushions?"_

_The little green boy squirmed under her gaze. "S'my face."_

_Robotman tapped the side of his head, peering around the doorframe of his room, too wide to crowd in with the rest of them. "Your face?"_

_His eyes grew watery. "It hurts. Mouth hurts. Biting stuff makes it better." His tiny fingers twisted a lock of Rita's hair around and around, finding the auburn locks fascinating… and fighting the urge to draw it to his lips and chew._

_The former actress glanced over the top of his green head at Mento, an eyebrow cocked in silent query. Steve moved away from the bed to crouch down next to them. _

"_Beast Boy, open up." _

_He squirmed again but obeyed, revealing two even rows of razor sharp teeth within a red, red mouth. Curiosity caused the rest of the team to crowd around the trio._

"_Those things can't be real." Steve grunted._

"_Holy smokes, they look like needles." Robotman gawped. _

"_Is he missing some teeth?"_

_The final question came from Negative Man, who pointed a wrapped index finger towards a conspicuously absent lower molar and one upper canine. The changeling yelped as everyone pulled closer. He snapped his jaws shut with an audible click before huddling closer to his adoptive mother. Her arms snaked around his little body several more times as she drew him closer to her. She could feel the way his skin rippled subtly against her skin, instinctively prepping for a morph-and-flight._

"_All right, everyone. Give Garfield some space." She warned, directing a sharp glare at the three men._

_Everyone except Rita took a collective step backwards. Robotman's shoulder bumped into the wall and dented the plaster. Steve stood and navigated around his other two teammates, heading for the door._

"_I need to do some research." He paused at the threshold and cast a quick glance over his shoulder. "In the meantime let's get the boy some gum. Negative Man? Go."_

_The bandaged man gave a lazy salute to his leader then turned and ruffled Beast Boy's hair before heading out. The child responded with an angry huff, his usual spunk finally filtering back in as he lifted his hands to rearrange the errant green strands back into a comfortable position on his scalp. Rita smiled appreciatively at Negative Man before waving him off._

…

_In short time it was discovered that Beast Boy's chewing obsession had everything to do with his growing adult teeth. Every time he was ready to shed a tooth his primal side compelled him to seek out the nearest object to gnaw. Identifying his problem was easy. Solving it without destroying the furniture was another beast entirely. _

_They tried sticks, which resulted in splinters and, when sticks were not readily available, several chair legs. Robotman came home with a dog toy one day and was promptly ejected from the mansion by an infuriated, two story tall Elastigirl. _

_At a complete loss, and with more than a dozen teeth to go before the boy would grow out of his phase, Steve and Rita started replacing their expensive furniture with cheap replicas. _

_One day Mento caught his son chewing on the end of an eraser. Inspired, he and Robotman conspired together to create a substance that Beast Boy could use without disintegrating or splintering. It had to be soft enough not to cause his jaw damage, but hard enough to help wiggle is old teeth loose. _

_They fashioned it into a fist-sized eraser. Small enough for the boy to keep in his belt, always on hand, and big enough for him not to accidentally swallow when he got too enthusiastic. They had no good explanation for anyone visiting the Dayton Manor as to why the changeling wandered around thumbing an eraser, but at least it didn't look like a pet's chew toy or a teething ring. _

_Everything was looking up. Beast Boy had something to occupy his compulsive chewing. The old furniture returned to its rightful places in the mansion, unmolested and his adoptive family thought they would weather his newest phase in relative peace._

_Then they were invited to the annual Justice League Christmas party. Beast Boy was eight and a half. Mento had recently decided that the best way to raise a shapeshifting child was to order him to suppress his animal instincts. Rita and Negative Man knew better, and Robotman chose to stay the hell out of it. The disagreement of opinion resulted in a micro war between the three members. Any time Mento caught the boy with his eraser it was confiscated. Negative Man would later steal it back, or bribe Robotman to make another. For the most part, Steve chose to allow the insubordination to continue, as he preferred to sleep in the same room as his wife more than not. _

_Then came the party. _

_Mento put his foot down the moment they landed at the Watchtower. _

"_No child of mine is going to be caught dead with a glorified chew toy!" He hissed at his wife._

_The former actress grew a few inches to loom over him, jabbing an elongated finger into his sternum. "He doesn't have to wave it around, Steve. No one's going to notice. Let the boy have his sanity."_

"_Rita, it's a security blanket. He'll be a laughing stock!" _

_Robotman nudged the miserable boy next to him as he pretended to ignore the squabbling adults. _

"_You excited to meet the Justice League?" He whispered._

_Beast Boy was nearly pushed into a wall by the big man as they approached the Watchtower's common room. He stumbled a little, then shrugged his shoulders, fists jammed deep into his pants pockets. He pressed his tongue against his teeth to make a loose canine twist. It made his gums itch like crazy but he was so close to getting it out…_

"_Aw, don't worry, kid. You'll have fun. Aquaman talks to fish. You become fish. I'm sure he'll like you."_

_The green boy chewed his lower lip thoughtfully, his head craned upward to regard him with wide emerald eyes. "R-really, sir?"_

_Robotman suppressed a wince as the loose tooth popped out at an unnatural angle from between his lips. He knew it didn't hurt, but it __**looked**__ painful enough to be cringe-worthy. "Of course! Have I ever steered you wrong?"_

"_Uhh…"_

"_Don't answer that, kid."_

_Negative man gave an amused snort but said nothing. _

_Just before the crew came to the doors to the common room Rita stopped and rounded on her son. The former actress crouched down and took his hand, pressing the eraser into his gloved palm. _

"_Promise me you won't take it out while we're in there?"_

_The little boy bobbed his head in a nod, relief releasing some of the hunched tension in his posture. _

_Mento glanced back in time to see the exchange. He ignored the pneumatic hiss of the doors opening as he whirled back around to face his two insubordinate members. In a lightning-quick move he snatched the eraser from the boy's hand and jammed the offending object into one of the many compartments on his belt. A moment later he vanished among the crowd of mingling superheroes._

_Rita scowled at her husband and mouthed an apology to her son before rising to follow, the perfect show-stopping smile plastered across her features. _

_The moment the little boy entered the room he was the center of attention. Huddled between Negative Man and Robotman Beast Boy was assaulted by a wave of female superheroes. As the youngest sidekick to grace the Watchtower (at the time) he was a bit of a spectacle. Zatanna was the first of many to shower the child with affection, cooing over dimples he had yet to outgrow. Hawkgirl wanted him to show her his wings but he was too overwhelmed to morph. Wonder Woman surprised him by pinching his cheeks. It shocked him to have someone touch his green skin without hesitation. It also had the unintended side effect of reminding him of his oral issues. The little boy shoved his hands deeper into his pockets in an attempt to will away the urge to chew on his fingers. When that didn't suppress the need he sent a pleading look towards Negative Man and another in Robotman's direction. _

_Unfortunately, the two men were busy enjoying the benefits of their very own green chick magnet. When Wonder Woman discovered his preternaturally soft hair the boy began to fidget. The petting felt good, but the stuttering purr that kept bubbling to life in the back of his throat caused his loose teeth to vibrate. In his discomfort he fisted the pocket linings of his pants to keep his hands down. _

_Rita was the one to finally swoop in to the rescue. She plucked him from the crowd, leading him away by the hand towards another group of three heroes. Mento was there talking animatedly to a man Beast Boy was fairly certain was the boogeydude under his bed. His suit was black and grey with a great black cloak that seemed to eat up the light in the room. He was a shadow made solid before his eyes. The little boy shuffled closer to Elastigirl, tiny gloved fingers curled a tad tighter around her hand. _

_The closer he got the bigger the other two heroes got. One especially so. He was clothed in red and blue with a great yellow 'S' branded upon his expansive chest. Though he was brighter colored and his cape was shorter than the nightmare guy's, he made up for it in sheer hugeness. The man next to him was tall, but not nearly so muscular. Clothed in mostly red with hints of yellow, he chattered away rapid-fire at the big dude, who appeared to be following along with it, for the most part. The dark man stared intently at him for a moment, causing him to shrink further against his mother. Beast Boy pressed into the side of her thigh, her warmth and scent a temporary balm on his frayed nerves._

_The big man was the first to notice them and the first to speak. "So, you're Beast Boy? We've heard so much about you."_

_He blushed and quirked a meager smile at the man, craning his neck skyward to see his face. "H-hi."_

_Like a mountain settling the man crouched down and extended his hand. "I'm Superman, it's nice to meet you."_

_Beast Boy regarded the hand warily for a moment then hesitantly grabbed two of his fingers. He gave the digits a quick shake before retreating back into Elastigirl's side. Eye contact was far too scary to attempt so he told her hip that it was nice to meet him. _

_Superman straightened and cast a glance at the dark man who muttered a quiet hello. Apparently embarrassed by his lack of enthusiasm the Man of Steel added, "You'll have to excuse my friend Batman, he's not good with kids. He really needs a dog or something to loosen him up a little."_

"_Or a sidekick." Added the red man, causing Batman to scowl._

"_I can't picture Batman with a kid…" Rita mused, earning a chorus of chuckles from everyone but the Dark Knight._

_With too many noises and unfamiliar scents to process Beast Boy began chewing on the seam of a gloved finger to calm himself. He didn't like that it would eventually make his fingers wet but it soothed him too much to care at the moment. He cast a longing glance at Mento's utility belt. The changeling was a little out-of-practice as a pickpocket but, if he was lucky, maybe he could—_

_As if reading his mind, the leader of the Doom Patrol shot him a withering look. It was almost enough to make him withdraw the finger from his mouth… almost. That tooth was super loose… if he could just work it a little more maybe it would stop both—_

_He let out a surprised yip as a red and yellow blur filled his vision and a sharp pressure was applied to one of his pointed ears. His teeth instinctively clamped down hard on his hand, sharp teeth pierced straight through the thin material of the gloves and into his soft skin. A second pain-filled yelp followed suit as he jerked his fingers out of his mouth, taking the loose tooth with them. _

_The tooth went flying. For a second it seemed suspended in the air… until the same red and yellow blur zipped in front of it. A half a heartbeat after that the shape reformed into the shape of the red man, inspecting his tooth between thumb and forefinger._

"_Flash!" Elastigirl gasped as she clutched a more shocked-than-upset Beast Boy to her person. _

_Superman crossed his arm and eyed the man. "Was that necessary?"_

_The Flash looked genuinely sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "Heh, sorry kid, I couldn't help myself. Had to see if those ears were real." He cocked his head to the side. "But uh, what the heck is this?"_

_Now Superman was inspecting the object. "Huh… looks like a tooth."_

"_Hey! That's mine!" _

_Everyone turned their attention to the boy and he blushed and shrank back against his adoptive mother's side. _

"_This can't be yours, it's too sharp…" The Flash frowned at the little green boy. _

_Superman rubbed his chin as he examined it. "Say, this looks kind of familiar…"_

"_What's that?" Apparently, even Batman could be dragged into a conversation._

"_Puppy teeth. It reminds me of Krypto's puppy teeth."_

"_No way!" The super speedster lifted it towards the light, turning it this way and that. "Say…you're right. It does look like a puppy tooth."_

"_Oh good God." Mento muttered, his face met his palm with an audible thwap. The first of many facepalms, regarding Beast Boy._

_Intrigued, the Flash rounded on the leader of the Doom Patrol. "Does he really have puppy teeth? Oh cool, he does! HEY! That's my new nickname for you, kid: Puppy Teeth!"_

_Poor Beast Boy, marinating in the scents of deep discomfort oozing off his adoptive parents, had finally had enough. He had to flee._

_So he morphed._

_Unfortunately, with all the talk about puppies he morphed into the last thing he wanted to be at that moment… a green puppy. Mortified, the boy scrambled away to hid under the nearest sofa and couldn't be coaxed out for the rest of the night. _

Raven leaned back in her seat, mouth agape. Minutes passed before she could get her jaw working again. "You…You're telling me…You flung a baby tooth at Superman, The Flash, and Batman?"

He nodded, cheeks aflame with color, his eyes refusing to meet hers.

"And… does The Flash still call you Puppy Teeth?"

Emerald orbs narrowed at the coffee table like it had insulted his mother. "Yep."

It started as a cough. Then a rumbling snort. Her book was enveloped in black as her shoulders began to shake and the coffee table started vibrating. Finally pulling his eyes back to his girlfriend he found her, rocking back and forth, her knees pulled cross-legged on the couch, facing him. Her hood had been pulled up at some point during his story and both hands covered the remainder of her visible face.

Afraid that she was upset, Beast Boy scrabbled over the few inches separating them. Both hands clamped around her slender wrists, tugging them down from her face.

"Raven I'm so sor—"

Laughter, melodic and sweet, filled the room. Her head fell back as she released the pent-up emotion, hood falling away to reveal tear-streaked cheeks. Just when he thought he would never be more surprised by Raven the girl shocked him once more by throwing her arms around his shoulders, drawing him into a warm embrace.

"Oh, haha, Garfield. I'm, hehe, so-so s-sorry. It's just so… _you_. I can't…"

Her words dissolved into more laughter, sweet music to his ears. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind he ought to be offended. Somehow, for some reason, he couldn't quite bring himself to care. A smile slowly took hold on his features as his arms drew up to squeeze her back. For the first time, he laughed about his puppy teeth.

0

OH GOD YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME WRITE THE OTHER THING IN THIS, AREN'T YOU?


	3. Puppy Teeth Omake

So, here's a thing that I couldn't fit into the story but is actually supposed to be part of Puppy Teeth: I always wondered why BB was such a huge fan of Batman. I mean, he's really the exact opposite of him, right?

Batman, of all superheroes, was the one person who managed to coax Beast Boy out from under the couch.

o0o

The little green puppy heard the couch creak above his head and a pair of black boots appeared in front of his face. He sniffed the air. Clean, damp earth, expensive silk, and… bat droppings? His wet black nose wrinkled. Was Batman taking his turn at trying to lure him out like all the others?

Some heroes had tried food, some offered to physically remove the furniture, some tried to talk to him and still others tried to make a grab for him. He ignored the food. He clung to the bottom of the couch when it was lifted, then morphed into a mouse and burrowed into the lining when they flipped the whole thing over. He came out only when the couch was returned to its rightful position. He couldn't talk as an animal (and refused to return to human form) and he snapped at anyone stupid enough to stick their hands under the sofa.

When the Dark Knight stayed put for several minutes the puppy heaved a sigh and settled his chin back in his paws. His parent's distress had grown tenfold in the hours since he had hidden himself away, which only compounded his primal desire to remain concealed. Once they calmed or he had calmed he would emerge; and not a moment sooner.

The black boots shifted. A gloved hand came into view. Beast Boy growled at the hand and shuffled further towards the very center of the couch. The hand hesitated, then rolled at the wrist. A flash of red caught the boy's attention. Like a magician revealing a hidden card, there, in his palm was his eraser.

As a boy, the changeling might have gnawed on his lower lip thoughtfully as he tried to discern whether or not his holding the eraser was a ploy to get him out. The only interest he showed as a puppy was a slight elevation in his floppy ears and a lift of his brows, tilting his nose to peer down at the object.

Seemingly aware of his reticence, a flick of the wrist sent the eraser bouncing towards him. The dog scrabbled against the slick floor, velvet paws and puppy claws struggled for purchase against the paristeel. Finally, friction kicked in and his legs obeyed him as he struggled forward enough to grab up the eraser in his teeth. A quick sniff confirmed the object was indeed his, though it held curious scent traces of both Mento and Batman. He wondered how the scary man had managed to talk his leader out of his "security blanket."

"Before you ask, let's just say I borrowed it." Batman's gravelly voice pierced the quiet void between them. He thought there might be a faint trace of amusement in his tone, but he wasn't sure. This was the boogeyman, after all, boogeymen didn't get amused.

_Borrowed it?_ The physical version of his question came out as a confused whine. _Does he know how to pick pockets, too?_ A warmth filled his chest at the thought. Every other superhero in the JLA was so… perfect. But Batman, he was different. He was darkness. Beast Boy could smell the humanity on him. There wasn't a trace of altered anything on him, he'd scent as much. He was simply a man. No more, no less. _Must be pretty scary._ He thought to himself. At least _he_ could morph.

The boot's toes turned and the weight above his head lifted away. He watched as the Dark Knight began to move away. Beast Boy meant to say "hey wait!" but all that came out was a sharp yip. Shoving his paws back under him he began the struggle anew to move, finally managing to drag his way out from beneath the couch. Immediately he returned to his human form and bounded off after him, eraser tucked securely away in his pants pocket.


End file.
